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FORT DE CHARTRES POWDER MAGAZINE: BEFORE AND AFTER?
The pending closure of 25 Illinois historical sites and state parks may have inspired you—hey, it was Labor Day weekend!—to take a little road trip and see these places before they close on October 1. Some things you may have noticed … or may not know:
1. While you, and all the other Last-Minute Larrys, waited in the heat for a state employee to show you around the site, it soon became apparent this was not going to occur. That’s because the state let its seasonal workers go early, at a whopping savings of $100,000, which is exactly what it cost to reconvene the legislature … for a special session on budget cuts.
2. So, you were your own tour guide. And you cursed yourself for not bringing another pack of DEET wipes, because the grass was long. The staff of one state park was told, “No more gasoline—when it runs out, mowing season is over.” The only items they can replace are toilet paper and trash bags.
3. However, if you drove up to Chicago, you wouldn’t have noticed any decline in the quality of your experience at all. Perhaps this is because Governor Blagojevic has a great affection for Chicago. In fact, he spends many hours—and many taxpayer dollars—flying between Chicago and Springfield, where he is obligated to spend some of his time, as it is the state capital. During last summer’s budget crisis, the governor commuted to Springfield from Chicago almost daily. A roundtrip on a state plane clocks in at about $6,000; on a commercial plane, the same flight would have cost between $500 and $700. Thanks to the governor’s commuting habits, he cost the state $75,000 between May 22 and June 7, 2007.
4. Because Governor Blagojevic chooses to live in Chicago, rather than Springfield, he doesn’t stay at the gubernatorial mansion; in fact, Blagojevic has not stayed there once, even when the legislature is in session. Of course, just like historical sites, mansions require upkeep, and this one’s kept in tip-top shape by taxpayer dollars.
5. The money saved from closing these historical sites will essentially be wiped out by unemployment benefits to newly laid-off workers, not to mention dealing with vandalism and problems created by deferred maintenance.
6. By closing these sites, the state will lose money thanks to revenue that won’t be coming in from tourists from The Netherlands, France, Germany, Australia and all 50 states—tourists that are accounted for in visitor logbooks at all of these sites—and who eat, camp, buy souvenirs and stay in Illinois hotels and motels.
If you’re of a mind to write the governor a letter about this state of affairs, you may want to note that the mailing address listed on the state site is in Springfield, so your guess is as good as mine as to whether he’ll ever be in town to get it. You may have better luck petitioning some other state official—or perhaps one of the many contributors to Blagojevic’s reelection campaign.
